A Light that Shines

Revelation 22:1-5 Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever.

Matthew 5:14-16 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven."

In January, grey dreary days have plagued southwest Ohio. For the most part, I'm a winter person. I love snow and the light that makes it sparkle. But so far our winter has been a drippy mess. We've had spring-like temperatures with mud. I'm not sure what coat to wear or whether I even need a coat. Mind you, I'm thankful we haven't had severe snowstorms or dangerous conditions. But a sprinkle of pretty white snow would be appreciated. Instead we're slogging through dark days with occasional sunshine.

How many times do we sludge through life in the dark? Instead of letting Jesus light shine through encouragement, hope, and joy, I let the misery of being human cast a shadow over me. Sometimes life sucks the light right out of me. But Jesus said if I am his follower, I also need to be his light. I need to care about the people around me, I'm called to show the love of Jesus, and I'm required to give. What a blessing to show Jesus' light. But do you know what is even better? Heaven! One of these days when I'm sitting at the throne of God, he will be the light. We won't need the sun. Because God is the light of heaven. I don't know about you, but I can get through these dreary winter days a little easier with the hope of heaven and the light that shines through God. Praise God for his eternal light!

Hope in Jesus All Day Long

Little Golden Books Turns 75 Years Old!

Do you remember The Poky Little Puppy, Saggy Baggy Elephant, Scuffy the Tugboat and Tootle, all a beloved part of my early reading experience. The Little Golden Books filled the shelves in my room. I loved listening to and reading the whimsical stories. Puff the Blue Kitten who fell in a can of blue paint, Santa's Toy Shop and Heidi.

How about the ones illustrated by Eloise Wilkin? The children she drew had such sweet, cherub-like faces.  Come Play House and Prayers for Children. I loved all of her books.

 Little Golden Books were first published in 1942, at the end of World War 2 for just twenty-five cents each. They were sold with the intent of bringing joy to the children who endured wartimes.

Now seventy-five years later they've sold over two billion books.

I like the attitude of Golden Books Editorial Director, Diane Muldrow —"Nothing takes the place of being read to."

They aren't a quarter anymore, but they are available for less than $5.00 on Amazon and in retail stores. If you haven't introduced your children to Little Golden Books, this would be a great time to share them. I have great memories of reading my Little Golden Books to my girls. They're a fun way to encourage reading.

Self-Control: It's Essential

Titus 2:11-14
For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.

January is often a time to make resolutions, set goals, and diet. In my forties I decided I was tired of being over-weight, so we bought a tread mill and went on a healthy diet. Every day I walked as I watched a show I taped on my VCR (yep-that long ago.) I fixed low-fat meals and stuck to my one treat a day, usually ice cream. In about a year I'd reached my goal weight. The self-control I imposed on myself paid off. I kept the weight off for almost six years. Then due to a change in job and some health issues, I gained weight again.

Since I'm older, the same techniques I used back then won't work now. I'm pretty happy if I just don't gain any weight. But my point is, I set my mind to accomplish my goal. And it worked. Self-control is essential when it comes to living life. I dislike the times I give in to anger, gossip, negativity or many of the other sins on this earth.

In his short text, Titus encourages the men, women, and young people of the church to develop self-control. I can only do that through Jesus who gives me the strength. As I seek to reach my goals (no matter what they are) and stay obedient to God, I keep my eyes on the hope that I have in Jesus. With him all things are possible.

Galatians 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

A Few Quotes in Honor of Winnie the Pooh's Birthday!

“Piglet noticed that even though he had a Very Small Heart, it could hold a rather large amount of Gratitude.”
― A.A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh

“When you see someone putting on his Big Boots, you can be pretty sure that an Adventure is going to happen.”
― A.A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh

“Just because an animal is large, it doesn't mean he doesn't want kindness; however big Tigger seems to be, remember that he wants as much kindness as Roo.”
― A.A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh

When Your Children Follow God's Path

My youngest daughter, Hannah, flew to Guatemala on Saturday with a group from Habitat for Humanity. They've traveled to Central America to build buildings and install smokeless stoves. Many of the people in the area cook over open fires in their homes. That equals an unhealthy environment. The travelers are also exploring a whole new part of our beautiful world.

When Hannah and her sisters were young I prayed for them to find the path God intended for them. I never dreamed Hannah's life would include world travel. But it has. I let go and let God and so did she. For any young mom's reading this, I want to tell you—it's not easy. Sometimes it's downright hard. On Saturday when they were flying I was a bit anxious. When I saw the message "Here safe and sound," my heart filled with relief.

Prayer and journaling are two of the best tools I've found to help me put aside the worry and entrust my children to God. This goes for grandchildren, too. I've learned to push worry aside and pray, pray, pray. That's when God brings me peace.

As a parent, we don't know where the Lord will lead our children. Encouraging them and guiding them is part of our job. Noticing their strengths and interests and giving them opportunity is a must. Letting them go to travel God's path is hard. But oh the joy I've found in each of our children's journeys. I'm proud of all of them and excited to see where the Lord continues to leads.

If you'd like to follow Hannah's adventure, she writes a blog: http://hlwick.blogspot.com/2017/01/guatemala-sunday-recap.html

Prayers are always appreciated!

I'd love to hear your thoughts, too.

Gentleness: In a World of Frustration

1 Peter 3:15-16
But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.

Photo by Maggie Wickline Jowers

I have to ask myself—am I reactive or proactive? Do I lash out or do I reach out? There are situations that make me angry. When someone is lazy, neglectful, or mean. But even in anger, God requires me to have a gentle spirit. In a world full of mistreatment, abuse, and let me put this gently-mouthiness, it's difficult to not react with louder, angrier words and frustration.

In the verses Peter shared, gentleness and respect go hand-in-hand. I love that. It makes sense. As a follower of Jesus, he wants me to be respectful and gentle, when I share my hope in Jesus. That's not being a pushover, it's being a Christ follower. The world is full of loud angry voices. It's time we show our gentle, caring spirits to the world by loving the difficult, the frustrating, and the unlovely. Jesus loved everyone—shouldn't we? Praise God for Jesus who loves you and me!

Galatians 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.